Danon: Conflict with PA 'Better Than Making More Mistaken Deals'

Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon expects the Israel-PA conflict to be resolved with help from Egypt and Jordan, he said in an interview

By David Lev

First Publish: 6/10/2013, 5:28 PM

MK Danny Danon

Israel news photo: Flash 90

In a discussion of how he expects the Israel-Arab conflict to finally be resolved, Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon said that ideally Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority would cooperate on regional issues, thus resolving generations of enmity.

“I am looking for true cooperation with these partners on matters of state and security,” including resolving the Israel-Arab conflict for once and for all, Danon said in an interview on the Knesset Channel Monday.

“Our interest is to retain as much territory in Judea and Samaria as possible, placing it under Israeli sovereignty. The status of the rest of the land, as well as that of most of the Palestinian population, will be decided with input from Egypt and Jordan.”

Cooperation on this level, Danon said, would ensure that all outstanding issues would be definitively resolved, ensuring a bright and secure future for both Israel and the PA.

In Danon's vision, Israel would not provide citizenship to PA Arabs. “We want their citizenship status to be decided jointly with Egypt and Jordan,” he said.

In lieu of such an agreement, Danon added, it was better to leave the political situation alone, given Israel's bitter experience in peacemaking efforts with a recalcitrant and uncooperative Palestinian Authority.

“The current situation, where we are in conflict with the Palestinians, is better than the results of mistakes we are liable to make in a future agreement, as we already did in the Oslo Accords or the Disengagement,” he said.